“Speak English Kids” Celebrates 10 Years in Grenoble!

Have you ever heard the English expression “Time flies when you’re having fun”? Well that is the perfect expression as we celebrate ten years of Speak English Kids, the fun English immersion learning program for kids right here in Grenoble! It all started back in 2007; Soad Louissi had recently arrived from Canada to live in Fontaine (a nearby suburb of Grenoble, France) with her family and was inspired to create a business that would be a part of the community and meet the needs of families who want an English-language youth center—complete with art activities, field trips, reading, cooking and playing! So the Speak English Kids concept was born: an immersion learning center for kids of all ages.

However, the road to the successful school you see today wasn’t easy. There were a lot of challenges involved with starting her first business in a new country. But Ms. Louissi’s vision for Speak English Kids persevered, and the number of children participating has continued to grow each year. Most of them come back year after year for the programs held during school holidays. And last summer, Speak English Kids got involved with the family-oriented Grenoble summer park program “L’été Oh! Parc” which served as a great way to create awareness about this innovative school and attract kids to come and play in English! Ms. Louissi and her team led fun, creative activities with instructions in English, which allows the kids to learn in an immersion setting, making learning much easier and more natural.The summer days at the park were a big success, but there are things happening all year long at Speak English Kids!

During the school holidays, there are week-long immersion programs which include all kinds of manual activities like cooking a meal and eating it, staging a performance, dressing up for a theme party, watching films in English, or playing board games to name just a few. These kinds of activities, all in English, stimulate the children’s emotional and cognitive development, which is proven to be the best way for anyone to learn a language—in the same way we learn a native language. This is the key to the formula at Speak English Kids!

And what a winning formula it is! The proof is in this wonderful occasion of celebrating ten years! Check out these comments from happy parents:

“My son asks to go to “English school” every week which proves how much he enjoys learning English while having fun. At 4 ½ years old, he recognizes English words in the songs on the radio!” –Laetitia

“First English initiation in English for our daughter who just turned 8, during the February school holidas: one intenstive week (whole days). The mix of English-crafts-cooking was perfect for her…” –Sacha

“Our daughter had lessons for 4 years. We were enchanted with the lessons, the method and the teacher. Our daughter acquired a lot of vocabulary…and she really liked her teacher and learning at her side. She worked a lot at home to participate orally during the lessons…” -Mireille

“It’s the 2^nd year or 3^rd, I’m not sure but we hope to continue!” –Elisabeth

“The school’s director, Soad, is always available for parents who want to discuss their children’s work or anything else…Thanks to the whole team for your good humor and serious work all year long! Our daughter Charlotte made a lot of progress thanks to you! And us too!” –Soky

“My kids have already been attending Speak English Kids for a few years. This year I asked them if they wanted to continue next year and they said ‘YES!’ For a mother it’s the proof that they are happy, what else can we ask for? –Sabrina

As you can see, the comments speak for themselves!

Happy 10^th Birthday to Speak English Kids, and here’s to many more years to come!